Andhra Pradesh Triumphs in U-20 National Championship with Key Victory

Andhra Pradesh secured a substantial 4-1 victory over Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in the Swami Vivekananda U-20 Men's National Football Championship. Despite this win, Andhra faces a tough road to the quarter-finals, especially with defending champions Delhi in the same group.

In a thrilling encounter at the Swami Vivekananda U-20 Men's National Football Championship, Andhra Pradesh emerged victorious with a 4-1 win against Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Held at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama Ground in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, the match saw Andhra Pradesh leading 3-1 at halftime, thanks to goals from Marappa Gowda Sethu Madhav, B Bharat Kumar Reddy, and B Veera Sai Harsha Vardhan. Badri Surendra Babu sealed the victory with a goal in the 72nd minute, while Nikhil Nayak was the sole scorer for Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

This defeat marks the end of the road for Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, who are now eliminated from the competition after two consecutive losses in their three-team group. Andhra Pradesh, despite this decisive win, must now face a formidable challenge ahead as they aim for quarter-final qualification. With defending champions Delhi also in Group F and having secured an overwhelming 14-0 victory over Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Andhra Pradesh needs nothing short of an outright win in their upcoming match to advance.

The game kicked off with Andhra Pradesh striking quickly; Marappa Gowda Sethu Madhav scored just eight minutes in. Although Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu managed to equalise in the 32nd minute through a free kick by Nikhil Nayak, their hopes were dashed as Andhra Pradesh regained control before half-time with goals from Bharat Kumar Reddy and Harsha Vardhan. A second-half goal by substitute Surendra Babu further secured Andhra Pradesh's dominance in the match. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)